My Pro Boxer System

This stage of the races was meant for the school to get a grasp of how athletic the students were. After everything was wrapped up, it was time for lunch. As expected, the entire first year was excited about the matches that took place today.

They went on and on about the different races, who won what, their times, and who would perform well at next year's tournament. I mostly just listened to them as I ate my lunch. Most of the conversation was about Cesar.

Seeing someone so talented at their age must have lit a fire under them. They were genuinely excited to compete against other schools.

When the bell rang and school was over, Cassian, Ken, and I left the classroom for the club room. The coach immediately called us over to share some news.

"Next week will be when you guys compete for your boxing licenses. This is it, boys. The milestone that many young boxers fail to cross. If you fail now, you'll have to try again next year, so you won't be able to take part in the tournament. Getting your license, like most things, will be a competition. You'll compete with people eager to win it, people who have failed so many times that they have committed themselves to winning this time. You'll have to beat them if you want to succeed."

The three of us stood quietly, listening to the coach. You could see the determination burning on Cassian and Ken's faces.

"I believe in the three of you. I believe that you've got talent, and if you work hard enough, you can get your licenses."

"Yes, coach!"

After the coach's words, Cassian and Ken dove headfirst into training. They didn't spare a second. Cassian went straight to the weights, benching as much as he could manage, while Ken pounded away at the punching bag. It sang loudly under the weight of his blows.

I, on the other hand, resigned myself to the jump rope. The same one Alexa gave me. After a few minutes, I moved to the treadmill.

All in all, it was a good training session. Next was my training with Ivy. When the time came, she approached me with a solemn look on her face. I immediately knew what it was about.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to split your time like this. How about we continue my training after you've obtained your license?"

I slowly raised my hand above her head and flicked her on the forehead. She immediately grabbed her head with a surprised look on her face.

"W-what was that for?"

"Don't be stupid. Your training is just as important, so we're continuing as usual."

She stared at me, then puffed out her cheeks into a pout. It honestly surprised me. I never expected this from her. She looked really cute when she wasn't being all serious.

"Fine," she said, folding her arms. From the redness of her face, I could tell she was embarrassed, so I doubled down and grabbed her hand, leading her into the ring. She didn't resist at all and followed behind me. Her hands were soft and warm to the touch. I glanced back to her and saw a faint smile on her face.

The first thing I wanted to work on was her footwork. She was an infighter before, and I wanted to train her into an out-boxer. Breaking her habits and enforcing new ones would be difficult. I would have to push her to her limit.

I taught her the correct footwork and techniques but no matter how I taught her, she always went back to her old ways, which was the reason she had failed at boxing before. It was because she was fighting in a style that wasn't the right fit for her. She knew it, yet refused to change.

"I don't think I can do this. Let's just work on perfecting my infighting instead," she suggested.

"No. You forget our deal was that you'll do everything I say."

"I-I just don't think your style will work for me."

The reason she was obsessed with infighting was because her father practiced it. She wanted to mimic him. I would have to break that train of thought since his fighting style wasn't the right fit for her. Somehow, I would have to make her fall in love with my fighting style, make her see the beauty of it, and eventually she would have to choose my style over her father's.

I'm not even sure if I can do it. She's already pretty stubborn. After I was done training her, we exited the gym and walked down the hall toward the exit.

"How confident are you that you'll pass the test and obtain a boxing license?" she suddenly asked.

"I'm almost certain that I'll get it."

She frowned.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. It's harder than you think. I've failed it, so I can tell you that you'll need to be on the level of a pro boxer to even pass. You need to know how to perform well in a boxing match."

"I already know how," I said.

"Well, I'm not sure about that. Among the first years, I think you're the weakest."

"What? How so? I beat Cassian to enter the club."

"Cassian is not the same as he was back then. He has improved a lot. He might not have told you, but he's been getting specialized training from the upperclassmen, and Ken has been training with the captain. The level of strength you showed the first time you fought was impressive, but if you were to fight Cassian or Ken now, I'm certain you would lose."

So that was what they thought of me. When I first started the club, I was a big deal, but after a while, my popularity quickly fizzled out. But what Ivy and the others didn't know was that I've improved a lot since then too.

Soon we were near the exit, and it was time for Ivy and me to part ways.

"Aren't you going home now?" she asked, looking a bit confused.

"Sorry, but I have something else to take care of. See you tomorrow."

She nodded, and we parted ways. I walked down the hall at a relatively brisk pace, and soon I was at the staff room.

I spotted Ms. Dalton at her cubicle. Thankfully, the staff room was empty, so she waved me over and then led me into a break room they had.

A loud click emanated as she closed the door behind her.